Stuff, Roll and Clip

Dry Bags That Put the Dry Back in Boating

By Scott Harding

Seattle Sports' Cyclone Dry Bag
Seattle Sports
1415 NW 52nd St.
Seattle, WA 98107
(800) 632-6163
Three sizes: $40-$50
Cascade Designs' Kodiak Sac
Cascade Designs
4000 1st Ave. South
Seattle, WA 98134
(800) 527-1527
www.cascadedesigns.com
Five sizes: $15-$20
NRS' Super Tuff Sack
Northwest River Supplies
2009 S. Main St.
Moscow, ID 83843
(800) 635-5202
www.nrsweb.com
Six sizes: $12-$27
Ortlieb's PD 350 Dry Bags
Ortlieb USA
19030 72nd Ave. South
Kent, WA 98032
(800) 649-1763
www.ortlieb.de
Five sizes: $24-$39
Jack's Plastic Welding's Stow Bags
Jack's Plastic Welding
115 South Main
Aztec, NM 87410
(505) 334-8748
www.frontier.net/jacks/
Three styles, five sizes: $26-$57
Flatheads and Blockheads
Voyageur
P.O. Box 207
Waitsfield, VT 05673
(800) 843-8985
Flatheads: 6 sizes, $15.95-$23.95
Blockhead: 4 sizes, $23.95-$28.95
Watershed ZipDry Bags
Watershed
2000 Riverside Dr.
Asheville, NC 28804
(800) 811-8607
www.drybags.com
Three sizes: $70-$120
Perception Touring Deck Bag
Perception
111 Kayaker Way
Easley, SC 29641
(800) 59-KAYAK
www.kayaker.com
One size: $110
SOTAR Dry Bags
Whitewater Manufacturing/SOTAR
1700 SW Nebraska Ave.
Grants Pass, OR 97527
(800) GO-SOTAR
www.sotar.com
Four sizes: $20-$30
Paddling may be about getting wet, but there are certain items you inevitably want to keep dry. That's why you'll find some type of dry bag in just about every kind of craft you see on the water, be it a canoe, kayak or inflatable. Choosing a dry bag, however, can be as difficult as choosing a boat. A host of new designs and materials has made selecting a dry bag more involved than ever. First look for a size and shape that will fit your needs (decked boaters, for example, need to make sure a stuffed bag will fit into their stern or storage hatch). The next consideration is materials and construction. Dry bags are made from waterproof fabrics including PVC/polyester, nylon, vinyl, Hypalon and polyurethane. Each material has its own strengths and weaknesses. PVC/polyester is time-tested and offers good strength and abrasion resistance, but it is heavier and bulkier than other fabrics. Nylon bags are lighter and offer a balance of strength and durability. Clear dry bags are vinyl and usually trade visibility for long-term durability. Hypalon and polyurethane bags are less common but offer bulletproof strength at moderate weight. If buying a flat-bottomed bag, look for one with reinforced corners and edges. On round bags, a heavy-duty bottom will help prevent excessive wear.

Seams and closures also are key considerations. Most dry bags seal with a roll-down closure system that fastens with a plastic snap buckle. Some closures have an extra flap that rolls up for a drier seal. Seams are a common leaky spot so inspect them thoroughly before each use. Welded seams typically perform better than stitched or glued seams. Proper use and care is important in maintaining a dry seal. Bags should not be stored in direct sunlight, and treatment with 303 brand protectant (available at most paddling shops) will help avoid UV damage and keep the fabric supple. Always roll down the closure at least three times--more is better. And while dry bags are meant to get splashed and dunked, they are not meant to be submerged. Even the best bags can leak if left underwater.

Material and construction aside, it's the small details and finishing touches that differentiate dry bags of different manufacturers. Some bags feature only one tie-down D-ring while others have several D-rings, grommets, or tie-down loops. Some have simple roll-down closures while others employ Ziploc technology. Some have carrying straps and others make you hoist the bag over your shoulder. All of the following, however, share the common denominator of keeping gear dry. Paddling may indeed be about getting wet, but the makers of the following dry bags have gone to great lengths to ensure it's also about staying dry. Here is a rundown of nine of driest bags we could find.

Seattle Sports' Cyclone Dry Bag

You won't ever have to worry about letting the air out of your dry bag before you roll it shut with the new Seattle Sports Cyclone Dry Bag. A one-way valve near the bottom of the bag lets air out as you close the bag but won't let water in while you're paddling. And it's not likely you'll be getting water in anywhere else: the body of the bag is made of 500-denier Cordura, and a 19-oz. vinyl wrap reinforces the bag's bottom and lower sides. Seams are radio frequency welded, and the bags lock shut with a one-inch snap buckle. Seattle Sports offers these bombproof bags in three sizes: the medium is sized for kayaks; large or XL sizes will fit only in canoes and rafts. Other dry bag manufacturers are designing bags with purge valves, so expect them to become a common feature in the next few years.

Cascade Designs' Kodiak Sac

The ubiquitous, self-inflating Therm-a-Rest sleeping pad may be Cascade Designs' claim to fame but the company is also well known for its extensive line of dry bags. We tested its lightweight, nylon oxford Kodiak Sac. The bright yellow fabric is not only extremely visible but also low-friction, making it easy to slide into tight spaces like kayak hatches. The roll-down closure is reinforced with nylon webbing and features a flap that folds over the bag opening for extra dryness. A one-inch snap buckle seals the bag and a D-ring offers a tie-down point. Kodiak Sacs are flat-bottomed and feature nylon binding around the edges to provide extra strength and wear resistance. If you are looking for a bag to carry your sleeping pad on an overnight trip, the Kodiak Sac is a wise choice. Large pads fit in the Kodiak 25, standard pads in the Kodiak 15, and small pads in the Kodiak 10. A smaller bag and a journal bag round out the Kodiak Sac series. The bag performed well in our test, and the only thing we would add is nylon binding around the bag opening.

Northwest River Supplies' Super Tuff Sack

The NRS Super Tuff Sack is the original roll-down closure dry bag. Like many reliable pieces of gear, these classic dry bags work well because they are simple and solid. A thick, round bottom of 34-oz. PVC/Dacron cloth provides ample abrasion and puncture protection. The body is lighter, 19-oz. PVC/Dacron cloth to allow easy rolling closure while still providing excellent strength. The bag has welded seams and snaps shut with a one-inch snap buckle firmly anchored a few inches below the opening of the bag. These upper few inches of the bag double over when the bag is rolled, keeping it drier. This is a functional, no frills, and affordably priced dry bag. We tested the medium-size Tuff Sack and found it to be dry and durable though rolls become a little bulky when folded more than three times. Extra small and small sizes are best for kayaks but a medium bag will fit in larger decked boats. The bags also come in sizes large through XXL for big, multi-day trips.

Ortlieb PD 350 Dry Bags

Germany's Ortlieb is a lesser known name on the dry bag scene but is by no means a newcomer: for the past 15 years Ortlieb has been building a wide array of waterproof bags and luggage for everything from packing your camera through a rainforest thunderstorm to paddling across a remote lake. We tested Ortlieb's PD 350 bag--designed for "normal use"--and found it to perfectly blend durability with light weight. A heavy duty round bottom is high-frequency welded to a supple polyester body that Ortlieb claims to be fold resistant for up to 100,000 folds. Fabrics are spray-coated on the outside and are laminated with a waterproof film on the inside. The bag locks shut with a one-inch snap buckle, and two D-rings at the buckle and one fabric tab on the bottom offer plenty of tie-down options. The opening is reinforced with cloth binding--a feature that would be a thoughtful touch on other brands. Like European shoes, Ortlieb bags are built on a different size scale than their American counterparts. Kayakers will find the extra small bag most useful; all four other sizes require the spaciousness of a canoe or raft. In the German tradition of meticulous design and construction, these bags performed flawlessly when tested.

Jack's Plastic Welding Stow Bags

Jack Klopefer has been making dry bags for more than 12 years: "One day an entire Grand Canyon trip visited our shop to purchase bags from us after their river trip," he says. "They had flipped below Lava Falls and their boat was upside down for 45 minutes. There were five brands of waterproof bags on the raft. When the boats were recovered, Jack's were the only ones with dry stuff inside." The extreme gear testing by this intrepid group speaks to the function of Jack's Plastic Welding dry bags. The Stow Bag series are made of tough 18-oz. PVC/polyester fabric and have a flat seam at the bottom. Corners are reinforced to guard against abrasion. The roll-down closure is bolstered with a webbing strip and fastens with a one-inch snap buckle. Grommets at the bottom of the bag provide a secure attachment point for tie down; a small loop of rope through the grommet makes it easier to clip the bag into a boat with a carabiner. Jack's offers three styles (and five sizes) of Stow Bags custom tailored for use in kayaks, canoes, or rafts. This variety in styling and sizing makes the bags exceptionally versatile and practical.

Voyageur

Voyageur, the accessories branch of Waitsfield, Vt.'s Mad River Canoe, has revamped its dry bag line, with two new styles--Flatheads and Blockheads--made from waterproof, 600-denier polyester canvas that is both frequency welded and seam-taped. Although the bags arrived too late to join the rest of our waterproof wares on the river, we put them through their own audition and they passed with flying colors--nary a drop of water worked its way to contaminate contents within. On the detail side, outside edges are reinforced with a sewn binding, meaning separation is highly unlikely. Flatheads have elliptical bottoms (essentially flat) while Blockheads have a grocery-sack style, three-dimensional bottom. Both styles seal with a roll-down closure with a snap buckle and a feature a D-ring tie down.

Watershed ZipDry Bags

Recent improvements to the manufacturing process of these tough dry bags have lowered the price while creating an even stronger product. The bags are made from textured, polyurethane fabric that has the tear proof quality of a whitewater raft but is more resistant to UV damage. A base layer of 420-denier nylon packcloth assures durability. Seams are radio frequency welded--a process that creates a waterproof bond at the molecular level. Watershed bags close with an exclusive rubber zip seal-not unlike a large, strong Ziploc baggie closure. When testing the bag, we were able to jump on a sealed bag without the ZipDry seal opening (Navy Seals use these bags when swimming out of submerged submarines to keep their essentials dry). As an added guarantee against water entry, the ZipDry seal folds down against the bag and fastens with snap buckles. The bag features D-rings and a nylon handle that allows it to be carried like a duffel bag--a convenient feature when lugging gear across land. The bags are available in three sizes: the Ocoee is suited for whitewater kayaks; the mid-size Chattooga works well in canoes and touring kayaks; and the massive Colorado will fit only in rafts and canoes. Watershed also makes three sizes of padded liners to protect fragile contents.

Perception Touring Deck Bag

If you paddle a touring kayak and need easy access to your dry stuff, don't miss Perception's specialty Touring Deck Bag. This sturdy bag attaches securely to deck rigging on any brand of touring kayak, making this the only dry bag we reviewed that is intended to ride on the outside of a kayak. This means that the bag has to be extra dry and Perception made sure it is by turning to dry bag gurus Watershed for design and construction. This intelligently designed bag features Watershed's ZipDry closure, tear-proof polyurethane/nylon fabric, and radio frequency welded seams. Perception throws in a zippered mesh pouch that clips onto the outside of the dry bag to offer convenient storage of items that don't need to stay dry. The low profile of the rectangular bag assures it will not get in the way when mounted to the bow, and with a capacity of 730 cubic inches, the Touring Deck Bag will give you fast access to your lunch, camera, and map with room to spare.

SOTAR Dry Bags

It should be no surprise that SOTAR's dry bags have a lot in common with the company's legendary whitewater rafts. SOTAR wraps its exclusive 42-oz. Lexatron fabric around the base of all its dry bags, which are made of 22-oz. Lexatron. This may seem like overkill but the result is a bag that is extremely resistant to abrasion and puncture. We abused the bag with a vengeance during our tests, even rolling it down a rocky slope. It emerged unscathed. The bags, available in four sizes, feature a roll-down closure with an extra flap that folds over the opening to ensure dryness. A snap buckle seals the bag and D-rings offer a secure and easy tie-down point. Like SOTAR's rafts, the seams on the bag are thermo-welded and are built to exacting military standards. These bags, which retail for $20-$30, are a super value and should give you many years of reliable, dry service.